There's a War Inside My Head
by JossyRose
Summary: This is basically a compilation of short stories and studies about the relationships between the spirits in the Sennen/Milennium Items and their hosts(wow, that makes the spirits sound like parasites but I can't think of a better term). It includes some OCs but probably none of mine.
1. Ankh and Scale

**A/N The title of the story is from the song "Lion" by Hollywood Undead because I felt like it fit. Ankhare (Spirit of the Ankh/Key) and Senui (Spirit of the Scales) do not belong to me, they belong to Indigo Tantarian and if you have not already, go read her stories. I command it! She's really good and her characters are very well developed (and I don't say that often on this site).**

**Anyway, I always forget to put these but I do not own the anime or manga under the name of Yu-Gi-Oh and by law of my country you can't sue me because I have the right to use this for entertainment or educational purposes and am gaining no monetary profit (I know this; I took half a year of Criminal Justice last year).**

Sometimes he wondered if he was simply insane, or if the voices in his head weren't really there, but he knew they were, and there was perpetually a war between two spirits in his mind like the small cartoon demons and angels he had once witnessed in old American shows.

The Ankh glimmered around his neck in the hot African sun as he walked through crowds of bustling tourists on the streets of Egypt. As the Ankh was a symbol of life, it only made sense that the spirit trapped within was a kind, gentle healer who had lived roughly three thousand years ago. Shadi could not even fathom such a thing, living within an object and the mind of its owner for so many long years. The healer, Ankhare had been his name, was an empathetic soul with hair and eyes as green as grass and a smile eternally on his face if one were to put it poetically. If one were to be Senui, the spirit within the Scales, they would say he was a spineless fool.

Ah, yes, Senui, the other spirit within his mind. He had been a judge, a rather corrupt one at that, and had a coarse personality that could be difficult to get used to. Alright…maybe "could" was a bit of an understatement, but still the spirit was useful and as much a part of Shadi as Ankh was.

They were both equally annoying in their own ways and yet, equally pleasant and a part of his mind in their own ways. Shadi found himself smiling. He lived a solitary existence, but he knew he was not alone. He would always have two friends within his head, and no matter how hectic or irritating they could be, he would not change that, even if it were possible.

أصدقائي هم جزء مني.

**I probably got this way off but the text above is supposed to mean "My friends are a part of me" in Arabic. I do not use any translating websites or programs, but rather I try to learn as many languages as I can through books and study, so if this is incorrect, the fault is completely mine. Ankh and Scale will probably be in this story again later (as in ACTUALLY in the story, speaking and such) once I get a better feel for them, but I wanted to get this story posted so I didn't lose the idea. I wrote this mainly in AP Physics (Wow, I am a HORRIBLE example; don't listen to what I do please!) so it may seem slightly rushed. Anyway, again, go check out Indigo Tantarian's stories and red the awesomeness that she creates.**

…**..I love Ankh. He's so sweet…I think he's my favorite which is ironic because Scale reminds me a lot of most of my male friends. Oh, and am I the only one who constantly thinks of the Vocaloid song "Judgment of Corruption" when I read about Scale. No, just me?**


	2. Solve the puzzle

**A/N So this is going to be taking place in Season Zero (where Kaiba can screw the rules because he has green hair) and there will most probably be spoils for tat season, so if you have not seen it and do not wish to get spoils, I suggest you go watch it. If you haven't seen it and don't care if you get spoils…I still suggest you go watch it because it is awesome. You can find it on Youtube. **

It happened again. He blacked out. This never used to happen…not until he solved…the Puzzle. Yuugi glanced at the inscription again, as if it were possible to forget what it said after reading it about a thousand times.

"The one who solves me shall gain the power and knowledge of darkness…" the small boy whispered.

What did that mean?

…_It means I'm within you…_

These black-outs, they were frightening. He would wake up in strange places without any memory, sometimes with an unconscious person next to him, and sometimes with dice or playing cards clutched in his hands. He had researched conditions and disorders which might pertain to this, but nothing seemed plausible. This entire situation wasn't plausible.

_I protect you…_

He felt somewhat safer with the puzzle in his grasp to the point where he was straight out protective of it, and always wanted it around his neck, hanging by its chain, or in his hands, safe, especially after that odd instance at the museum.

Yuugi had completed the strange Egyptian puzzle gifted to him by his grandfather, but it appeared he had another puzzle to solve. One that was not tangible and may have proved to be a lot more difficult than the physical one in his grasp…


	3. A Dream of Reality

**A/N This also takes place during Season 0. Yami is very different in that season than the rest of the show and Yuugi is adorable! **

How can someone do such things and not remember? How can a person harbor another consciousness within his mind, and not realize. For Yuugi, there was always a split moment of awareness within him when Yami took over, a feeling of another presence, but that feeling dissipated nearly instantly afterward, and the thought would not occur to him until the next time Yami decided to take over. At night, however, the mind is less guarded, more open to strange thoughts that our consciousness tells us should not be possible.

It was this night, when the boy was asleep in his bed, covers draped over him, that the presence within him was strong, and Yuugi could have sworn he was not alone. Memories flashed within his mind of Anzu, his dear cru-friend in trouble, a gleam of gold that he recognized as the strange Egyptian's ankh from the brief time they met at the museum. A man's hand, finger clutching the trigger of a gun balancing an open lighter over a pool of Russian Vodka.

The boy would not remember these instances in the morning when he awoke, but they would still be there, buried within his mind. When the Sun rose and splashed light across the child's face, he groggily sat up, clutching his head, and whispered, "What is a…Yami no game?" while staring at the puzzle which lay on his desk.


	4. No Secrets

**A/N This is Yami Yuugi and Yuugi. It is not intended to be romantic but if you wish to see it that way, good for you. I think this is the "normal" Yami if you will, rather than season 0, but I think it could feasibly be thought of as season zero Yami if you so choose. Just a little drabble I thought of while taking my Algebra II Semester Exam (which is the WORST time to get a story idea). **

**And, I have a four day weekend! WOOHOO! So I'll definitely be updating frequently.**

There were no secrets between them. When someone lives within your mind, very few things are left unknown to both parties, save for, of course, those secrets which are unknown to both. The Pharaoh knew much about Yuugi. His soul and heart were pure and innocent. His memories were common but vivid. His friends were true and loyal and he returned the favor without fail. But there was very little about Yami that Yuugi knew. His room was a labyrinth of traps and twisted memories, a place Yuugi never planned to re-visit. The boy knew he was a Pharaoh from Egypt in ancient times, about three thousand years ago, but whenever he brought the concept up, Yami's face would sadden as he struggled to remember friends, family, a childhood…

Yami never tried to keep secrets, but it couldn't be helped. He recalled near to nothing about his past life. This upset the spirit. He knew so much about others, but not himself, and Yuugi knew himself so well, but may never get to know the being which possessed his mind. How could the boy trust him so easily, while knowing so little.

Still, the mortal teenager's face brightened when he met Yami inside his mind, and he never hesitated to call the spirit a friend. He knew so little about the Pharaoh, and the Pharaoh knew so little about himself, but they both knew enough, because honestly, it didn't matter what either of them were in the past. Their hearts were true and what would preserve that brightness was what they did in days to come, not what had happened long ago.


	5. Wonder

**A/N So this is an A/U of the first drabble I did where the ankh and scales have spirits in them because I was curious what it would be like for Shadi if his items didn't hold spirits. I'm probably going to write with Shadi a lot, he's one of my favorite characters. Also, I misspelled Ankhkare's name in the first chapter because I'm an idiot, so I apologize. Give me a break; I'm American, his name has too many letters so I am nationally inclined to chop some off. It's a stereotype but it's kind of a true one.**

It wasn't the first time he had wondered this, and it wouldn't be the last, but seeing this spirit, the Sennen Puzzle's possessor who appeared so much like the young boy whose mind this was, rekindled the fire of curiosity which burned within him. He had been informed multiple times that some items held spirits, including one which held the essence of the young Pharaoh himself, but not all. Some were empty. Normally, the man would not notice this, to him the items were items when they held no essence, but in such close proximity to such a strong life force, and within its own room of mind for that matter, the ankh and the scales he held seemed almost dead. They held nothing.

Was it advantageous or not that his items were not possessed with spirits? He could not tell. A spirit such as the one who stood before him may be helpful, and may even allow a companion. He was not a very social creature, but even he at times wished to simply talk to someone who listen about things that did not include the words "fate" or "destiny". However, if he held an item which held a malicious spirits such as the one contained in the Ring, it could be disastrous. But he held two items, not simply one.

What if one item, maybe the ankh, held a benevolent essence, and the other, the scales perhaps, a malevolent one. They would balance each other out. Shadi himself was more of a neutral person. He definitely was not a "light" but he couldn't quite refer to himself as "dark" either. If light, dark, and neutral came together to inhabit the same body, the same mind, that truly was a complete being…

It would be interesting to see how that would turn out. Chaotic…perhaps…


	6. Insanity

**A/N This is an idea I got a couple days ago but forgot to write. It is pretty A/U to every world, and I'm not sure if I think Yuugi is actually insane in this or not, but at the very least, this is what I think would happen if someone said there was an Ancient Pharaoh within his mind. And yes, I know that more likely he would be diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder (Dissociative Identity Disorder), deemed safe toward himself and those around him, and put on medication, but it's more fun this way. **

Plain white walls surrounded him. He felt like a prisoner of war subjected to white room torture. He looked down, strands of tri-colored hair, no longer spiked in its usual star shape, fell into his eyes as he peered at his plain white clothing. A pair of loose trousers and a jacket that forced his arms around himself.

He had been smart at first. He hadn't told anyone about the spirit possessing his puzzle, for fear this would happen, but eventually, it just sort of slipped. His friends would look at him strangely, concern shining in their expressions, each time he brought it up. So he stopped talking about it. His grandfather asked if he was sick and wanted to lay down when the boy had tried approaching the subject, so he agreed that he should and never spoke of it to him again.

Why was it that he was the one to end up like this? Others had the same thing happening, right? Bakura and Marik, they were crazy, not him!

He drew into himself, entered his mind, and saw the door to the right he dared not open. Yuugi wanted to forget everything about the spirit. The three thousand year old Pharaoh, who right now, was his only friend…his only companion.

The boy ignored the other door, pretending it was nonexistent, and entered the room on the left, carefully stepping over the last few toys that littered the floor. His innocence had gradually begun to fade and all that was left in his room of mind was a bed, an untidy dresser covered in frantic scribbles and messy writing, and the last of his innocence portrayed in the toys and games that guarded the door. On his dresser was the last reminder to him that what he saw, what he experienced, had been real.

A pack of Duel Monsters cards.


	7. Illuminati

**A/N Okay, so I have been DYING to do something with this, especially recently because I found out some girls in the Drama Club at my school believe that the Illuminati control the world and all these conspiracies. It was bad timing on their part because I have been obsessed with Yu-Gi-h for a while now, and it occurred to me…**

Yuugi tossed his bookbag on his bed, shedding his school uniform jacket but not actually changing clothes, not really having the energy at the moment. The spirit who possessed his Sennen puzzle appeared on is bed, smiling, but then appearing concerned at his friend's exhaustion.

"Did something happen?" The Pharaoh's spirit questioned.

"Have you ever heard of something called…the Illuminati?"

"Allumunaday?"

"Close enough. There was a transfer at the school today, a girl from America. She saw my Puzzle and started screeching about something called the Illuminati. She said they control the world or something and kept asking why I was a part of it. Is it an Egyptian thing?"

"If it is…I have no memories of it…they control the whole…world? Are you sure?"

"That's what she said."

"Why did she think the puzzle was a part of it?"

"Because it's a pyramid…with an eye on it, I guess. But I don't know what that has to do with anything."

"Well," Yami said after a moment, "Whatever the allah-madi is, my Puzzle came first."

Yuugi laughed slightly, "Are you implying that we should sue the Illuminati for their symbol?"

Yami Yuugi also laughed and shrugged.


	8. Season 0 Episode 5

**A/N I was re-watching Season 0 of Yu-Gi-Oh and I've always been interested with the transition the characters have from season 0/manga to the "main" anime, even in the Japanese version they seem toned down. So, I wanted to write more with Shadi, but Season 0 Shadi, so I decided to do something I swore I wasn't going to do in this story. Use my own original characters for the Ankh and the Scales that I created when I was six. Here we go.**

**Ankh: Her name is Ankhta, meaning "city of life" or "kingdom of life" or something, and I remember I modeled her after an Egyptian picture I once saw of a Goddess (I can't remember which one) with an Ankh in her hand. Herhair is shoulder length, black, and her skin is light. She wears purple with gold and black but I can't remember the style.**

**Scales: He is Abdul-Haqq which means "Servant of the truth". It looks like even back then I enjoyed having my characters' names mean things pertaining to them. I always called him Abdul. I cannot for the life of me remember what he used to wear though, I just remember his clothes were tan-ish with gold and black on it somewhere and his skin was light because all the other Yamis had light skin even though they were Egyptian, but I think I'll change that. I wish I could find these pictures I drew so I can show you guys. I'll look for them. I remember I originally was going to name him Anubis because I was a smart child who read a lot of mythology and the whole weighing the heart against a feather thing on a scale, yeah, that's what Anubis does. I decided against it though.**

**All translations were done by me. If I am incorrect, please tell me.**

Shadi stared at the corpse in front of him, tears which weren't his own leaking from his eyes. Next to the man stood a small, teenage boy, looking up at him curiously.

"Why are you crying?" the boy asked.

"These tears are not my own. This rotten figure, it is a puppet of the ground. Despite that, the soul of a great Pharaoh still dwells within it. Kept from its eternal rest. The lamenting of its soul because tears within me."

'Shadi, don't go all philosophical on the child,' Ankhta lightly complained with an airy laugh.

The boy's face appeared confused, or maybe contemplative, trying to take in what the strange Egyptian had said.

'He's so cute' the woman trapped in the Ankh smiled internally.

"Cute boy." Shadi repeated aloud, voice mainly devoid of emotion as he ruffled the kid's hair.

"Boy?! I'm a student in High School!" the child called after him.

Shadi merely ignored him and continued on his way, vaguely hearing the boy mumble something about a "weird Egyptian". He chuckled a bit at that.

The scales within his grasp also laughed a bit, a deep resonating noise which only Ankhta and Shadi could hear, "Interesting kid. So where's this man we're looking for?"

"I'm not quite sure," Shadi's monotone voice rang through their minds, "But we need to wait until the others leave anyway."

After the museum had closed, and after much roaming through the maze-like building, Shadi found a man knocking excitedly, _greedily, _on a door.

The lights went out. After taking out the guy knocking, Shadi allowed himself into the office where his target dwelled, still clutching onto the scale.

"Wh-who are you?!" the frightened mortal exclaimed.

"I am from a family who has guarded graves for three thousand years, disciple of Anubis."

"A-Anubis?! The one who deals with the dead? That's absurd!"

"Your foul ambition has disturbed another God's slumber in the Valley of Kings, and now, you will be judged here."

"I get it! You're from the Egyptian government right?"

Abdul stifled his laughter and Ankhta sighed amusedly at the foolish human.

"I didn't realize I was being arrested for anything."

"Arrested is a bit of an understatement," Abdul-Haqq muttered as Shadi placed his object on the table.

"What is this?"

"This scale measures truth," Shadi responded blankly, unaffected by the surprise and horror radiating off the man before him.

"A scale that measures truth? You're saying this will measure my sin?"

"Now we will have a game," the Egyptian grabbed a pure white feather and set it on the scale, "A dark game."

"G-game?" the sinner mumbled as Shadi's eyes glowed white.

"On this side, I place the feather of truth. As you can see, it is balanced now. And then, I will ask you some questions. If you do not tell the truth, weight will add to the other side. That weight is your sin. If that side touches the ground, a punishment game awaits."

"Punishment game?"

"The first question. A girl falls into a deep well. You are the only one who witnessed it happen, but at your feet, the girl dropped a gold ring. So, what would you do?"

The ankh glowed as Ankhta took in what the man would say.

"I'll save the girl!" he shouted, "I'd save her!"

'Liar,' Abdul laughed darkly as the empty side of his scale lowered slightly.

"Impossible! I was not lying!"

'Should I add more weight to his sin for that, Shadi? That was also a lie, after all."

'No, that wouldn't be fair!" Ankhta argued.

'Oh, you're no fun!'

"Then the next question."

The terrified man didn't know this, but that was Shadi's way of telling both him, and his two spirits to shut up so they could all continue.

"Wh-why?! I have not lied. It continues to sink but there is nothing there! This must be some kind of trick!"

'This guy is kind of annoying,' Abdul-Haqq muttered, 'What's with all the screaming?'

'You'd be screaming too if you were in his position.'

'True, but I would actually know what was happening.'

'He heard the words _punishment game. _Even without knowing what is going on, that's all he needed to hear to be frightened.'

As if he could hear her words, the guy shouted, "Just what is the punishment game?"

"Very well, before the last question, I will tell you about the punishment game."

'This ought to be fun,'

"It is in your heart."

'Poetic,' Ankhta said.

'Poetic but also the truth,' Abdul added.

The avaricious screeched as his chair took the form of the beast, Amemid, drool dripping onto his face.

"It is the monster Amemid who lives in your room of mind. So, the last question. You have violated the land of Gods. You trade shiny treasures for money. Do you do this for personal profit?"

'Nope, he does it for charity Shadi! Why else would he raid a place known for treasure?!'

'Hush, it's a fair question, Abdul,' Ankhta lightly scolded, 'Besides, you know whatever his answer is, it will be the wrong one. I don't believe this man is capable of thinking for the well-being of others.'

"St-stop it! I'll pay, if you want money!"

The side of the scale clanked to the desk with the heavy weight of the man's avarice.

"There is no truth in your room of heart. Greed is all that exists. And now, you shall face punishment."

The creature gripped its prey tight and bit down hard on his head while he shouted in agony.

"Your room of mind is full of wealth and greed. It becomes the den of monsters. You were destroyed by those demons," as he retrieved the scale, he noticed, with surprise, a pyramid artifact lying on the desk which he was sure had not been there before.

"Th-this is the Millennium Puzzle in its completed form! I was told it hadn't been completed once for thousands of years."

'You were told correctly, up until now that is,' Ankhta inputted, also intrigued by the golden puzzle.

"So why is it here?"

'Well obviously someone in this country completed it, I suppose,' Abdul decided.

"Does this mean someone in this country solved the puzzle?!"

'Is that no what I just said?'

"Come, I suppose I shall bring this with me."

'You tell us to come as if it's an option for us,' Abdul sighed.

As they walked, or rather, as Shadi walked, they came across the small boy once more. The teen appeared to be looking for something.

"It's the Egyptian from earlier," Shadi heard the child say to himself.

The man halted when he then heard the sixteen year old say, "My Millennium Puzzle!"

'What?' Shadi thought to his spirits, 'It can't be!'

'Why else would he claim it to be his?' Ankhta said.

'Because it's shiny and valuable, of course. There's no way a mere _child _could have the competence to complete the puzzle, right?!' Abdul hastily argued.

'But he is sixteen. Surely a child of this age could if he were exceptionally bright,' she refuted.

Shadi wasn't quite paying attention to their internal debate, instead he was more focused on the boy in front of him.

"You were the one who solved this?"

"Yeah," the boy claimed, "It was really difficult."

'Understatement of the century!' Abdul scoffed.

"But why do you have the Puzzle?"

'It is said that the one to solve the Millennium Puzzle will possess dark power. The same power as my family. If so, then this boy also' Shadi trailed off slightly, 'I must make sure this boy has the same power. Now with the Millennium Cross, I can see into the boy's room of mind.'

'I'm not a cross, Shadi,'

'Sure you are,' Abdul said.

'Well, I suppose, but that word has a different connotation these days, and must you always have an argument up your sleeve?'

'Yes, I must!'

"Key?" The boy questioned.

'I'm not a key, either,' she sighed.

Shadi walked down the hallway within the child's mind, stopping before twin doors, one on the left and one on the right. The left door was open, revealing a kid's room, but the one on the other side was shut tightly, branded with the Eye which marked each Item.

"There are two rooms in this boy's mind."

'Really? I couldn't tell.'

'Don't be so sarcastic all the time, Ab.'

"One room is pure, scattered with toys. It is devoid of wicked thought. In the other room…" he opened the door, eyes growing slightly larger when he spotted a boy, nearly identical to the one whose mind this was, but slightly different in aspects such as height, attire, and hair. Even this boy's demeanor was opposite.

"Someone has come to visit my room?" the boy's voice was slightly deeper, but still held youth.

'Is this…the boy from before?'

'There's no way,'

'I agree with Abdul, Shadi. I don't think it is possible for this to be the same child. Besides, yu saw the door…this must be a spirit.'

"He seems completely different."

"Who are you?"

He did not answer.

'In the past, I have visited various people's room of mind. Usually, one mind only has one room of mind, but this boy has another room! Repressing, cold, almost like the ancient Egyptian tomb of a Pharaoh.'

'Have you not seen your room of mind? It's pretty cold and repressing in there, too,'

'I think this may be the Pharaoh, Shadi. Pharaoh Atem. What do you think, Ab?"

'I think the Pharaoh was taller and more…dead.'

"I don't know what power you used to visit my room," the boy interrupted the internal conversation, "but you will tell me why you came here."

Shadi allowed himself to laugh slightly at that, "I am a visitor, a guest, it is good manners to answer your question. I have come to learn the secret of your Millennium Puzzle's power."

"So you know of the existence of the Millennium Puzzle?"

"The Millennium Puzzle is a dark Millennium Item. It's been in the King's tomb for three thousand years, since Ancient Egypt. I heard that the Pharaoh used it to find and judge criminals."

"So you came with the power of one of the Millennium Items?"

"It is the Millennium Cross, a key to see into people's room of minds. I also possess the Dark Millennium Scales. But I do not know the power of the Millennium Puzzle."

"So you entered my mind to find the answer?"

"Seeing this room, I can tell that there is great power within. I wish to ascertain that fact, and if we need such power, my family shall take it."

'Pushy much?' his male spirit voiced.

"Your family?"

Shadi nodded.

"Indeed the power of the Puzzle is in my room, but I can't tell it to you easily. Understand? It's game time."

"Alright."

"If you win, I will tell you the secret of the Millennium Puzzle. The rule is simple. My true room is somewhere in this mind. Can you find it?"

"I forgot to mention I have special abilities," Shadi chuckled, "Once I have entered someone's room of mind, I am free to manipulate it. Of course, this includes destroying someone's personality. I accept the game and I will discover your true room."

"Will it really be so easy? This is a much more dangerous game than you believe."

A labyrinth formed around them in the tomb-like mind and with that, the mysterious boy disappeared. After landing himself in a multitude of traps and being mocked, laughed at, or scolded by the spirits within his own mind, he found himself in a dark, lone room where the boy was seated. As he approached, figuring he had found the correct room at long last, the ground beneath him collapsed from under his feet.

"No! This is also a trap!" he shouted, reaching out a hand to grasp the edge of solid ground, thankful that it stayed steady as he stared down into the abyss below, "If I fall into this darkness I'll never leave this boy's mind!"

'Yes, and thanks to you, now neither will we!' Abdul shouted fearfully as Ankhta shuddered internally.

"This is the end." The boy said as he approached.

Shadi glared at him, a mixture of unease and anger, but the teenager did not push him into the darkness, but rather held out a hand to the man.

Sensing Shadi's apprehension, he added, "It's okay…this hand is not a trap."

After but a second's hesitation, the man grasped the teen's appendage and took his leave, awakening once more in the physical world.

'I entered this mind to test the boy but I was the one who was tested,' he thought quietly.

"Are you okay? You look really pale. You haven't moved this whole time."

"Oh…I am okay," Shadi reassured, looking up at the small one, "Let me return this."

"Thank you!" the kid grinned and gratefully took the Puzzle from the elder male's hands.

"No need to thank me. After all, I am in debt to you."

"Debt? Did I lend you something?" the boy seemed confused.

"I meant to the other you."

"The other me? What are you talking about?"

'This boy does not realize he has a hidden personality.'

"Hey…are you really okay?"

'No, child, he is not,' Abdul quipped before being mentally smacked upside the head by the Ankh's spirit.

"Boy, what is your name?" Shadi questioned as he stood.

"It's 'Yuugi'! Not boy! 'Yuugi'!" Yuugi shouted apprehensively causing both spirits to chuckle.

'I think you hit a chord, Shadi,' The Ankh's feminine voice rang.

'We should leave. Say goodbye to your new friend and let me judge some people already!'

'I agree, we have much to do, Shadi. We should go.'

'I believe you two are correct. Let us go. But when we are finished with the souls of this country, I would like to see this boy again. I still have not discovered the true power of the Item he holds.'


	9. The Thief

Ryou awoke on the hard wood floor of his bedroom, a thin sheet half covering him but succeeding more in trapping his legs within its cotton confines. He ached everywhere but managed to force himself to his feet after a struggle with the white fabric. Glancing in the mirror on his wall caused him to sigh. A black eye and a scratch on the cheek was nothing new but it was still frustrating. His hair was even more untidy than usual and when he lifted his shirt in response to a stabbing pain, he saw a long, still bleeding gash across his chest. This was going to be difficult to explain.

The boy has become accustomed to these mysterious injuries and periods of black out rather quickly after gaining the Ring but it seemed they were happening much more frequently and becoming more aggressive. Ryou figured the stealer of souls had been in fight again, probably with another spirit of one of the items, but it was very possible that he had simply been taking his anger out by mutilating his young host. It wouldn't have been the first time either happened.

The white haired teen looked at the glinting gold artifact and against his better judgment, slipped it around his neck. There were times when he wished his father hadn't found the ring, but more often, he wished the item wasn't possessed by such a malicious being. Still, other times it felt less lonely with the thief within his mind, a friend that could not abandon him. Within his mind, Ryou could hear the deep chuckle of said spirit. He was listening. Why did he always do that at the most inopportune moments?

"You think of me as a friend?" the criminal mentally grinned mockingly.

"I didn't say that."

"But your thoughts are not private when I am here."

"…I know," Ryou sighed.

He shuffled to the washroom and dampened a cloth to clean the wound across his torso and cover it with scraps of tissue paper, having no better means of bandaging it. He then washed the scratch on his face and scrubbed the dirt which covered him. What had the spirit been doing?!

"You have no need to know," the Egyptian hissed.

"I didn't ask you. I was only wondering, and I think I have the right to know since it's my body your using," Ryou, usually such a gentle soul, had quickly become irritated with the parasite within his mind.

But he had no way of stopping the thief from taking over. He was too weak to resist and it happened so randomly that it was difficult to predict or expect.

"Did you forget I'm a thief?" the monster chuckled, "A soul stealer. A convict," he spat the last word, but Ryou could not tell if it was out of spite or sarcasm.

"No. How could I? You already stole my body and my mind."

"Never forget what I am, boy."

Ryou bandaged his cut, pressed lightly on his injured eye before retracting his hand quickly from the pain it caused, and then sighed. No. There was not a time when he didn't wish the ring his father had gifted him with hadn't been possessed with such a strange, greedy spirit, but sometimes, the boy had to wonder just how evil this thief truly was.

"As evil as I need to be to get what I want."


	10. Sticky Fingers

**A/N My other laptop is still be wibbly wobbly timey whimey, so eventually you should expect a mass update to many of my stories. I just have no idea when that will happen. I felt like writing something with Bakura so…this happened. Enjoy. Please review if you could. =)**

He had found that he was beginning to accumulate objects in his room which he did not recognize. The boy had noticed this not long after he had been given the golden artifact that he wore around his neck, the mysterious Egyptian item. At first he had paid no mind, or at least, little mind Maybe a fifth of a mind. It of course did not escape his notice, but he had no explanation. Then he met the spirit, the one within his mind and found himself being taken over on multiple occasions. Being a kind, good-hearted person, it was difficult to ignore the strange new possessions, but at the same time, he had no means of returning them, as he knew not where they came from or where they belonged.

The teenager was concerned that someone might think he, himself, stole the items, and he had expressed this to his spirit several times, but the other simply didn't seem to care.

It was one day when he was walking through town that he felt his body being taken over and saw himself quickly snatch a gold chained necklace dangling from a young woman's purse.

"Bakura!" Ryo shouted in his head, regaining control of himself and walling over to the woman, making a motion as if he were picking something off of the pavement, "Excuse me, Miss, um… think you dropped this."

She looked at the jewelry with recognition and looked at her bag in surprise, nodding and thanking the boy for being "honest" and telling her instead of just taking it.

As Ryo continued to walk he mentally complained to the tomb robber about getting him in trouble and that he shouldn't steal things from people, though he knew the other didn't care in the least.

"Force of habit," the other mumbled.

"Well stop it. I don't want to get in trouble."

"…Sorry…"

"Wha-" Ryo halted and raised an eyebrow.

"I said deal with it. If I want to take your body, I will," the older spat.

Ryo suppressed a laugh but allowed a small smile to adorn his face as he continued to home. He found that he no longer accumulated random objects after that.

**A/N Yeah, it's out of character, but it sort of is supposed to be. Bakura is such a tsundere in this, I swear.**


	11. Trapped

He was trapped. He was always trapped when the _other _took over. He would bang on the door of his soul room, of his own mind, screaming, but if the other heard him, he paid no attention.

The two boys were complete opposites for sure, but it went beyond simply sharing a mind with one so unlike himself. It was like sharing a mind with the person he feared the most. The thief was cunning and ruthless. Ryo was filled with anxiety every time the other took over. What would he do to him this time?

When the thief took over, he would always harm his host's body in some way. Pissing off thugs who would proceed to beat the boy up, self harm, thievery. The young Brit was terrified that he would wind up dead or imprisoned for something that the spirit of the ring did. It was not an ungrounded fear. Both had nearly happened on several occasions.

So here he sat, like so many other times, curled up on the floor of his soul room, near to tears but not allowing any drops to escape from his eyes.

It would be alright; it always was in the end. If he fell asleep here, the other would silently slip back into his own soul room, and though Ryo may wake up in an alley or the street, he could find his way home and continue slumber in the security of his own bed.

He was just scared for the day that he wouldn't wake up at all.

**A/N Would you believe that this started out as a story about Malik? By the middle of the fourth sentence, Bakura popped into my head and it just continued from there. Despite its shortness, this actually took me a couple days to write, simply due to lack of inspiration. Thinking about this makes me wonder what Ryo's soul room looks like because I had absolutely nothing to picture in my head when I was writing about him laying on the floor. Literally, what was in my head was Ryo curled up on the ground of an empty, gray room. I think that's what my next one-shot will be about.**


	12. Ryo's Soul Room

His soul was friendly, to say the very least. If one were to possess the ability to go into the teenager's mind (likely by means of the Millennium Ankh), they would see the door to his soul was left wide open, emitting a soft, comforting glow. If that person did not respect the privacy of one's own soul, and were to saunter in, they would find a bedroom, very similar to that of the boy's real life room. A bed sat placed with the headboard against the wall to the left of the door, with a wooden desk placed opposite of it. The bed was neatly made, clad with plain, light blue sheets and a slightly darker blanket underneath two white pillows. The desk was neat, but clearly used frequently. Papers were scattered across it with words neatly etched into the parchment in both Japanese lettering and English. Also upon the desk was a lamp, the source of the light visible from outside, no doubt. A cup decorated with the United Kingdom flag sat next to the light, holding pens of various tip size and colored either black or blue. No pencils.

On the wall which stood directly across from the door were bookshelves. The genres of the books ranged wildly, some being school books, some being classics, some being modern young adult fiction. The languages were broad, from English to Japanese to Egyptian with scribbled notes on the pages translating the words to Japanese, and then English.

If one were to walk into the room, they may feel the soft, clean carpet beneath their feet, colored another shade of blue. They would likely see the nightstand, previously hidden from sight, and investigate it. On the nightstand was a picture of the boy as a younger child, a small girl, a man, and a woman. Held beneath the picture frame is a letter to a girl called "Amane"…the girl in the picture? If they were to look beneath the bed, they would find many more of these letters neatly placed in a wooden chest along with some dying flowers and a small doll. Also on the night stand is a card. A single Duel Monsters card. The "Change of Heart".

If this same person were to return later, when the spirit of the ring was in a poor mood, they would find the door closed. Locked. And they would see the marks on the door, showing the abuse it suffered under the hands of an angry tomb robber. If they were able to see inside, they would witness this boy cowering on the floor, in a corner, or on the bed, hugging the doll that had once belonged to his little sister.

**A/N What do you think? I have tons of symbolism and allusions in here, and I was going to explain them, but I want to hear what you guys think all this means. If any of you want me to post a chapter explaining this though, just let me know and I'll be happy to post it.**

**~Crazy People Have More Fun! Peace out!**


	13. It Never Occurred to Him

It hadn't occurred to him that his stupid host would disobey. It hadn't occurred to him that Ryou would protect his friends. Instead of a simple victory and the gaining of the Millennium Puzzle that he yearned for so badly, he suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Pharaoh. It definitely had not occurred to him that the boy would be naïve enough to try to sacrifice himself by possessing one of his own cards. He never thought that the Pharaoh would be clever enough to cause him to switch places with his foolish Master. If the teenager had simply been quiet and done as we told, he could have saved himself the wrath of the spirit of the Ring when he returned to his host. Still, even after his rage had dissipated and he continued his conquest, the memory of the incident, and its impact on the thief, would not fade. He had lost because it never occurred to him that Ryou would care enough for others to bring about his own possible destruction.

"I wonder what that would feel like," Bakura muttered.


	14. Friends

He didn't have friends. He never really had. Memories of times in the ancient past consumed his mind constantly, but never once did he remember the extended hand of friendship, the soothing voice of comfort, the laughter of shared memories. He remembered the death wrought upon his family, his neighbors, anyone who could even come close to being his friend. He remembered the fear he had felt, and the rage he felt afterwards, and the vengeance he sought which he knew would never be sated. Even if he managed to kill the Pharaoh, even if he managed to destroy all those that the Pharaoh cared for, he would never fulfill his thirst for revenge, because the one whom he desired the spill of blood from the most, was already dead.

He would see the little boy who the Pharaoh had, for whatever reason, chosen as his host. Maybe chosen wasn't the right word, but he _had_ kept the child at the very least. Granted, that could be likened to his own Master. The good boy who was his polar opposite. Not his friend, of course. He didn't have friends, don't you remember? Just his host. His "Master"…his puppet. He would see the boy's friends. The useless girl. The blonde haired bully. Sorry, ex-bully. The other boy. He saw how he behaved around them, and toward them, but he would never understand why. These people did nothing for him. They barely helped him. They were his cheerleaders in battle, not his partners or aid. So why did he care for them so much? It went beyond logic!

He was sure there was probably a time, at some point, maybe very long ago, that he had felt this sort of care for another human being. A mother. A father. Siblings. A friend. But the memories of his family were fuzzy and fading with his great age. All he truly remembered about them, was that they were killed and he wanted to avenge their deaths. So, he must have cared for them, right?

He never remembered having a friend, but as he reflected, he realized he must have. Because when he saw his Master, sometimes, for a brief moment, he would remember a boy's smile. Shared laughter. He remembered the extended hand of friendship. And then it faded.


	15. Unsent Letters

_Dear Amane,_

_How is school? How are you and mother? Your brother started his new school today. I've only been there a little while and on the very first day I made a lot of new friends. _They asked if they could come over to my apartment to play some games. I'm really looking forward

**Heh. Heh. Heh.**

"Eh?" Bakura turned to look over his shoulder, not sure who exactly he expected to see. It wasn't like he lived with anyone, though most teenagers would at least expect to see their parents or a sibling. His heart ached at that thought. A mixture of relief and fear gripped him as he realized no one was there, "That voice again!"

Was he going crazy?

"Oh, you can finally hear me?" a disembodied voice hissed sadistically.

"Who's there?"

That was the first time he had met the spirit in his head.

_Dear Amane,_

_A lot has happened since my last letter. Do you remember the spirit of the ring Dad got me? __It __ He's a lot nicer now._

A dark laugh emitted.

_He doesn't beat me up anymore, or at least, I haven't noticed any new bruising anymore. So if he's doing anything to me, it doesn't seem to last. _

"Or maybe you're just too stupid to see the marks," the voice, no, the spirit, quipped.

_And we discovered that the spirit in Yugi's puzzle is a Pharaoh! That's really cool, right? I think you had actually been learning about Pharaohs in school __before __, right? I really miss you and Mum. _

_Your big brother,_

_Ryou_

He set the pen down next to the paper.

"Why do you write these?" the spirit sounded bored, as if he was tired of entertaining a ridiculous idea, "It's not like you can send these to her. Unless you know how to send mail via "Afterlife Express"?" that laugh again. The laugh itself sent shivers down Ryou's spine on most days, but all he did at the moment was bite his lip and lower his head.

"Did you ever have a sister, spirit?"

The self-proclaimed Bandit King was silent for a few moments, "…I…don't remember, actually."

"A brother? You _have_ to have had parents."

"I did."

"What happened to them?"

"You _know _what happened to them, sampa!" he spat the last word as if it were an insult, and Ryou wasn't sure if it was or not.

"They died."

"They were killed!"

"My sister die-"

"I know that," the spirit huffed.

"Don't you miss them at all?"

"My family? After thousands of years, I barely remember them."

"But you want revenge. That means you have to miss them."

Silence again.

"I miss her. Them. My sister and my mother. That's why I write to them. I know they will never get these letters; I don't even send them out. But it's just…I…it's a coping method, alright,"

The boy stood, his chair scraping along the wooden floor with the motion. He stalked toward his room, tears in his eyes, and proceeded to go to bed, though sleep did not take him.

"If you had half a heart, you would know why I do it."

The spirit did not speak for the rest of the night.

**A/N This was originally called "Amane" and was going to center around Ryou's sister a bit more but it became more of a comparison between Bakura and Ryou and how I feel they cope with the deaths of their loved ones. **

**I don't think the font for the letters will show up on fanfiction, but if it does, it's called "Lucida Handwriting" and I added Italics in case it doesn't show up on the website so hopefully it will show the difference between the letters and the story. The first letter is actually in the manga, the second I made up. Oh and last night I had so many ideas involving Bakura, so expect a lot of him coming up.**


	16. The Thief King's Subject

They were alike. This man before him and himself. The man currently holding the item he resided in was nothing like him at all, he was boring, but he was fully aware what the spirit would do to this poor man if he was not the one.

The King of Thieves would have burnt the man on the spot if he hadn't found this exchange interesting. The man had swiped the ring, unfortunately for him, the most aggressive item, and took off. When Bakura had awoken, he had been about to turn whomever had brought him from his slumber into a pile of ashes, but sensing freedom from the Guardian and his boring residence, and finding this man to be intriguing, he refrained.

Of course the Guardian would not chase after the item himself, Bakura thought spitefully; he sent his men instead. The black robed men were gaining on the thief and of course, Bakura would have rolled his eyes, the guy tripped!

"P-Please, let me go…"

Pleading.

"You can have it back!"

_Don't give me back! How is that your decision?!_

Despite his promises, the lackeys snatched him to his feet anyway. The thief lowered in his head and hung limp in defeat. Bakura growled irritably.

"Wait! Please let that man go…!" the foreigner, "If he stole that ring, I'll pay for it…Here! This is the money I have!"

The American thrust a wad of cash forward. Bakura's eyes would have glittered with the wealth if he had known how much the green pieces of cloth were worth, but as it was, he did not know the fortune that was right in front of his face, so to speak.

Foolish human. Why would he sacrifice his money, no matter how peculiar it was, for a man he didn't even know? Some might call it noble or selfless, but the act filled the Thief King with disgust at how stupid it seemed.

Footsteps alerted mortal and immortal alike to a new presence. Ah, the nameless Guardian clad in white, a stark contrast to the shadow robes of his servants.

"This village, Kul Elna, was created by grave robbers," _And destroyed by the Pharaoh. _"It is called the Grave Robber Village…Thieves like him are not uncommon."

As the Guardian led the way back to his…home, if you could call it that, the thief called out for help, though he knew perfectly well that none would aid him.

"P-Please! I'm sorry I stole it!...Please, don't kill me…" the man cried as he was forced to kneel before the Guardian of the Items.

"I do not intend to condemn you for stealing the Millennium Ring…The issue is whether or not you are a chosen one," _You know for a fact he isn't… "_Will the Ring itself accept you as its bearer?"

_**NO! **_

The expression on the Guardian's face darkened, probably taken over by the Scale, Bakura mused, "Put on the Ring! Then the answer will make itself known!"

The men clad in black forced the Item around the man's neck. Not a moment passed before the Ring began to sizzle his flesh. The thief glanced down in horrified shock.

_You are not the one! _Bakura laughed malevolently.

_W-Wha-?_

_You and I are alike though. Little thief. _

The man screeched in unholy agony as flames burst out of his eyes and mouth, searing him from the inside out.

_You are just like me. A thief. You are my subject; I am the King! And you will share MY FATE!_

The ring clattered to the floor.


	17. Can You Hear Me?

He had awoken! Finally. Why had he blacked out? Hmm…the Chosen one. This little boy? The child couldn't have been older than seventeen…the age of his own death. Maybe that wasn't so little after all then, but after 3,000 years, every age of a mortal seemed little. They never lived passed one hundred. Such fragile little fools who thought they were invincible. Granted, there had been a time when he had thought the same thing of himself. And in the end, it turns out, he was almost right.

So the boy. The child was probably sixteen or seventeen, if he were to guess. Seemed nice enough, polite enough, naïve enough.

"I think I'll keep you…" the Thief King drawled.

No response.

"Can you hear me?"

…

…

Nope.

This was his life now, he discovered after a few months. He would attempt to communicate with his "Master", only to find himself unheard. Unless the boy was ignoring him. No, the child was far too polite to do that. Besides, if he could hear the spirit, he would at least be surprised the first time and jump. Probably cry put, "Who is it?"

Why was he not heard?! This was becoming infuriating!

"Master!" Bakura spat sarcastically.

Nothing.

"Can you hear me yet?"

No.

With a sigh, the Ancient spirit gave up. He would try again tomorrow.


	18. Bakura's Thoughts

**Full Title: Bakura the Bandit King's Thoughts on the Guardian  
Alternate Title: Reflections of the Thief King which Happen to Involve the Guardian**

**A/N This is going to be an arc, I warn you ahead of time.**

The Guardian. He was boring. And intriguing. At the same time…somehow. Outwardly, the man was boring. Not normal, far from it in fact, but boring in an abnormal way. He was, like his robes, plain. Not white though; that was a difference between him and his clothing. He was very African. Bakura laughed slightly at his musings.

The Guardian was dull in the fact that to him, everything was pre-designed and everything should happen as it is meant to, fitting together like the Pharaoh's stupid Puzzle. At the same time, he was a means justify the ends sort of man, and his means could be very interesting, borderline fun. Bakura wished so much that he could have been there when the white clad spirit had battled the amnesiac Pharaoh in a Shadow Game, especially because he knew the Guardian had lost. But there was no one for the man to face save for the kindly spirit of the Ankh, who would probably never bring the ordeal up again. As much as Bakura detested the judge within the Scales, he desperately wanted the Guardian to have brought the damn thing, just so that Bakura could hear the sweet music of the corporal spirit being taunted. So maybe the Scale was good for one thing.

Still, the Ring detested being here. He just wanted his stupid "Chosen One" to come by so he could get out of this place and take the Puzzle for himself, but somehow he knew that wasn't going to happen for a while. He didn't know how he knew this, maybe it was just a gut instinct, but somehow he knew it was still going to be a while.

Laughter, malicious and very much akin to his own, filled his head.

"Shut up, Senui," Bakura muttered, mentally rolling his eyes. He very much disliked it here.

The Guardian was here, but he was paying no mind to the Items at the moment.

_What a shame, I would very much like the company. _Sarcasm. _Stupid, good for nothing Guardian._

At this point, the Ankh hanging around the man's neck basically radiated annoyance, causing Bakura to smirk inwardly.

Bakura hated the Guardian, or at least, that's what he would say if one were to ask him, followed with something along the lines of a ground out, "Why do you care?"  
In all actuality, the thief couldn't deny that he didn't mind the man so much, seeing as he had technically taken care of him, polishing his Ring, until he found his Master. That being said, he would never want to go back. That's why he kept Ryou around…sure, that was why.


	19. Last Names

**A/N This is a random story that popped into my head just now when I was thinking about the fact that none of the Yamis seem have to last names, or in Bandit King Bakura's case, a first name.**

"Bakura,"

Said Thief King looked up, though the action was meaningless in his Soul Room. Nevertheless, the teenager went on, probably realizing that the spirit must have heard him, even if he did not supply a verbal response.

"What's your last name?"

"…What…is my last name? As in, my family name?...It's Bakura you dense little boy," the thief muttered moodily.

"That's…my family name…"

"Hm, really? I had no idea, it's not like I am your ANCESTOR or anything," the spirit spat sarcastically.

"Well…I know, but…I didn't know that it was _your _family name too. I mean-you always want to be called Bakura so I thought that was your first name. I wasn't even really sure you _had _family names back then-"

"Then why did you ask?" he snapped.

"I just…wasn't…then what's your first name?"

"My given name?"

"Yeah,"

"None of your…I don't have one!"

Ryou raised an eyebrow, "You don't _have _a given name?"

"It's none of your business! Leave me alone…"

"Alright, Bakura."

**A/N It's just occurred to me how funny it would be if Bakura's first name was Ryou as well. Anyway, I have no idea where this came from…**


	20. Yami's Thoughts

**Full Title: Pharaoh Atem, the Spirit of the Puzzle's, thoughts on the Guardian known as Shadi Even Though He Doesn't Really Remember**

He had been in pieces at the time, quite literally, and hardly remembered a thing. What he did remember was fragmented and scattered, and generally did not actually involve the Guardian. Mainly, they were thoughts. At this time, he drifted in and out of consciousness, barely able to stay awake long enough to actually form coherent thoughts or retain information about what was happening on the outside.

When he met the man, Shadi was his name, or so he had said, he still did not remember. But he seemed familiar somehow. Was this a piece of his past life coming back, or the time he spent locked in the pieces of the puzzle before Yugi had found it and put it together? He would probably never know until he retained the full extent of his memories.

But somehow he remembered a voice, calm and distant, not speaking to him, but not speaking to another either, and somehow, he was not speaking to himself.

Atem would reflect on this later. Maybe the man was simply, like Yugi, speaking to the voices inside his head.


	21. When He Said Goodbye

He never realized how much he needed the friend in his head until he had met him. The boy was about his age with the same tri-colored, spiked up hair, same eyes but with an aged gleam to them, and only slightly taller than himself. The boy with the other him and they were partners.

When he finally did meet the spirit of the Puzzle, it was like another eye had opened (pun very much intended) and he could see clearly. This is what he had been missing. This is what he needed. He had asked the Puzzle for a friend who would be there for him, and who he could be there for, and when the boys, Jounnochi and Honda, who has once upon a time ago been picking on him suddenly turned around and defended him, became his _friends, _he thought that his wish had been granted. What the child did not know was that his wish _had _been granted, just in a way that he had not yet witnessed.

Then he met him. The friend who would always be there. The boy in his head. His friend. They fought together, dueled together, and grew together. Personal strength was shared between the two.

And then he left. It wasn't as if he had wanted to, he needed to. But Yugi hadn't been prepared for it. They had been through everything together…

And then he said goodbye.

**A/N This is not intended to be yaoi or romantic or anything, but if you choose to see it such a way, go right ahead. Sorry for the lack of updates, my muse isn't behaving. Anyway, I got the title in my head before the actual story so I hope it's coherent. I technically should be working on virtual school right now but…**


End file.
